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quentl y purchased. Again, the Corps of Engineers Flood Plain Management Assess- ment Report addresses this issue: "The concept of making the option of flood hazard mitigation funds available as quickly as construction funds for repairs in place to substan. tially damaged homes is considered very important by flood plain management and emergency re- sponse officials. Otherwise, there can be a temptation to 'shop around' among the Federal disaster aid programs to obtain the fastest assistance, even if the result is to complete repairs that leave people vulnerable to repetitive flooding." Preparing for emergencies and disasters is, by law, ajoint responsi. bility of local, state and federal agencies. Funding for mitigation projects is available under Section 404 of the Stafford Act (Public Law 93-288) and administered by FEMA. In Missouri, responsibility for this function lies with the State Emer- gency Management Agency (SEMA) which works with local communities to achieve the mitiga- tion goals. Interested communities ranged from Bellefontaine Neighbors which purchased twenty contiguous properties to St. Charles County which grappled with a floodplain that covered 43% of this rapidly urbanizing county. The program was designed, from the federal level down, to encourage local autonomy in the quest to develop solutions to the problem. The desired quickness of the buyout response had the added benefit of offering flexibility to create pro- grams that work. "We've been buying out the flood plain over and over again in tax dollars. If we can use the buyout program to purchase these properties once and for all, we can put an end to the cycle of waste." .Eric Knoll City Administrator Arnold, Mo. A Closer Look: Permanent Open Spaces Like many Missouri cities participating in the buyout program, Jefferson City will transfer much of the property acquired through the buyout to the local park system. "We're looking at a bicycle trail that hooks up to the Katy Trail, practice fields for sports teams, maybe some community gardening," says Allen Gamer, city attorney for Jefferson City. "It's important to the emotional healing of the community," adds Gamer. "A lot of these people had personal attachment to these properties. We've tried to be sensitive to that. It's important for people to see that the land is not going to be barren. But, at the same time, it's important not to redevelop the land and place it at risk again for flooding." In Lincoln County, buyout properties will be leased to seasonal campers. Monies collected through the program will fund a permanent emergency management director for the county. One 12-acre parcel in St. Charles County includes an extensive wetland. The County is partnering with Lindenwood College to restore the tract as an environmental demonstration area for its student as well as those in the five public school systems throughout the county. And, in the City of Arnold, a former trailer court will become a football field for the Jefferson County Youth Association. "It's just a brainstorm we had," says Lew Lewis, director of parks and recreation for the City of Arnold. "The Youth Association is currently using ballfields outside of our city limits. The coaching director came to me and asked if! had any property in the city limits. It's going to work out well because we have a lot of floodplain property that we're happy to have someone else maintain." The City of Arnold and the Jefferson County Youth Association signed a 100year lease effective August I, 1992 to July 31, 2002 for $1. The Youth Association will grade and seed the property. The non-profit association will be required to provide a $1 million insurance policy and abide by all applicable safety rules. "When it's done, it'll be the best youth football facility in the state," brags Scott Neibert, coaching director for Jefferson County Youth Associa- tion. "It's going to be first class," The nonprofit organization has a current membership of almost 400 children between the ages of 6 and 14 who pay a nominal fee to participate in the summer sports program. 'The secret of the success of the Missouri Buyout Program is simple. Governor Mel Carnahan was committed to moving citizens out of harm's way in the floodplain. He set the buyout program policies which were to purchase primary residences, mobile home pads and vacant property adjacent to buyout properties to prohibit new building in the target areas. In the Missouri Program, Governor Carnahan decided Federal Hazard Mitigation Funds would be matched dollar for dollar with Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds. Each local community would run its own program by identifying willing sellers, purchasing the property, and stating that the land would become open space or recreational facilities. The State provided technical assistance to the local communities. In 1994, Governor Carnahan said the buyout program would save taxpay' ers over $200 million in assistance programs and flood insurance claims during the next 20 years. The wisdom and success of the aggressive buyout